TWELVE months after being diagnosed with cancer, Daniel Round, the brave youngster nicknamed 'Rhino,' has charged back onto the rugby pitch.

CHARGING back to full fitness... sports fanatic Daniel 'Rhino' Round is back on the rugby pitch.

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TWELVE months after being diagnosed with cancer, Daniel Round, the brave youngster nicknamed 'Rhino,' has charged back onto the rugby pitch.

Even after receiving the devastating news that he had cancer of the spine last September, 11-year-old Daniel never stopped believing that one day he would be able to re-join his teammates at Rochdale Rugby Union Club.

And his dream has came true.

Despite being wheelchair-bound because of damage caused to the nerves in his legs, the youngster is back with the under-12s squad.

Daniel, of Scarfield Drive in Norden, has also started back at Shawclough Primary School after a year's absence.

His mother Juli said: "He is doing smashing. He is back rugby training and his teachers are over the moon with him at school.

"He had been hoping to move on to secondary school like his friends, but we made the right choice because he missed a year of school and he knows everyone at Shawclough.

"You wouldn't think he had missed anything now, he is so eager to get back into everything he did before he was taken ill.

"On the rugby pitch he does as many of the exercises as he can in his wheelchair.

"And he helps the team coach, Dave Banner, when the others are jogging around the field.

"But he is so determined. He knows that one day he is going to walk and there has never been any doubt in his mind."

Daniel is now an outpatient at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital in Pendlebury after being told he was in remission from the cancer earlier this year.

He recently underwent a successful bout of radiotherapy to clear any remaining tumours that had spread to his lungs, which showed the all-clear. He is also undergoing physiotherapy to help him to walk again.

Mrs Round added: "We are so pleased because Danny's legs are getting stronger and he can wear trainers for the first time.

"This wasn't possible before because his feet were too painful through nerve damage.

"And he no longer needs his hoist to transfer himself from his wheelchair.

"His hair has grown back and he has also put two stones on in weight. He fell to under five stone, but is now a normal seven stone.

"He was pleased that he could gel his hair for starting back at school."